The dew-covered spiderweb you see in your yard might soon become a platform to detect airborne viruses. This is the objective of Jiangtao Cheng, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who has received an international grant from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) to build bio-inspired technology that could serve as an early warning system for pathogens such as COVID.
Droplets as sensors
Cheng has built a deep research portfolio in combining fluids at the microscale and nanoscale with optical technologies such as lasers. Past projects have included the combination of fluid droplets and lasers to quickly identify COVID-19 and novel methods of creating advanced optical devices.
After more than two decades studying fluid behaviors on the smallest scales, Cheng saw some unique opportunities to capitalize on fluid properties. Liquid…
